.:~^%*&###                                          ###&*%^~:.
....~^*&##                                          ##&*^~....
.....~^*##                                          ##*^~.....
...:~~%%%&                                          &%%%~~:...
...::^*&&&                                          &&&*^::...
.:~^%*&### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###&*%^~:.
.:~^%*&### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ###&*%^~:.
.:~^%*&### ~ ~ ~  ~ ELVES LIVE  IN THE LAND ~ ~ ~ ~ ###&*%^~:.
.:~^%*#### ~ ~ ~  ~ BEYOND  THE GREAT DAM.  ~ ~ ~ ~ ####*%^~:.
.:~^%*&### ~ IT WAS  BUILT  IN THE  LATE SIXTIES. ~ ###&*%^~:.
.:~^%*#### ~ ~ ~ THE ELVES  CAME TO US THEN. ~  ~ ~ ####*%^~:.
......:^*# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #*^:......
.:~^%*&### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###&*%^~:.
.:~^%*&### THEY  WERE  VERY  MANIPULATIVE,  AND  WE ###&*%^~:.
.:~^%***## CAME TO TRUST THEM.  ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ US ##***%^~:.
...::^^*&# KIDS WOULD  PLAY DOWN AT THE  WATER EVEN #&*^^::...
.:~^%*&### THOUGH WE WERE NOT ALLOWED. ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ###&*%^~:.
.:~^%%**&# ~  ~  SOMETIMES  THE SLUICE WOULD  CLOSE #&**%%^~:.
...:~^^%%& ENTIRELY,  AND  THE  RIVER  AT THE  DAMS &%%^^~:...
.:~^%*&&&# FOOT WOULD DRY UP,  REVEALING  THE ROCKY #&&&*%^~:.
.:~^*&#### WATER  GARDEN   THAT  HAD   BEEN  HIDDEN ####&*^~:.
.:~^%&#### BENEATH, AND WE WOULD GO THERE. ~ ~  ~ ~ ####&%^~:.
.~^%*&#### ~  ~ ~ ~ BEFORE  THE  DAM  OPENED AGAIN, ####&*%^~.
.:~^%*&### THERE  WOULD BE A SIGNAL, BUT  THE ELVES ###&*%^~:.
.:~^%*&### WOULD MAKE  US NOT HEAR IT, AND SUDDENLY ###&*%^~:.
...:^^*&&& WE WOULD FIND THE  WATER RISING, ALREADY &&&*^^:...
......~%%& AT OUR KNEES. ~ ~  ~ ~  ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &%%~......
.:~^%*&### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###&*%^~:.
.:~^%*&### ~  BY THEN THE  ELVES WOULD  BE  GONE. ~ ###&*%^~:.
.:~^%*&### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###&*%^~:.
.:~^%*&### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###&*%^~:.
.:~^%*&###                                          ###&*%^~:.
.....:^*&#                                          #&*^:.....
.:~^%%*&&#                                          #&&*%%^~:.
.:~^%*&&&#                                          #&&&*%^~:.
..:::~%&##                                          ##&%~:::..